Saturday is a big day for the Yreka Miners baseball team, as the squad looks to bring back the school's first-ever baseball section title to Yreka.
The Miners, the No. 3 seed in the Northern Section Division 2 playoffs, must first get by top seed and defending champion Sutter. The Huskies defeated Yreka for the section title last season.
The game is set for 4 p.m. at Butte College in Oroville.
Last year, Yreka trailed 1-0 heading into the sixth inning, when Sutter scored four runs to win the game 5-0.
A total of 10 members from last year's team have returned this season.
“They are all really excited to be back,” in the section title game, head coach Jason Freitas said. “They know what it's all about.”
This will be the third section title game Freitas has gone to in his eight years as the Miners head baseball coach. Freitas, who played for the Miners, said that it would be something else for the players, coaches and dedicated fans who have supported and rooted for the Miners this season to come away with a title.
“It would mean a lot to us,” he said. “We've been close before.”
It would be quite rewarding to earn a title after an up-and-down season, with a number of ups the last month, Freitas said.
For most of the season, the Miners struggled with consistency, especially on the defensive end, as Yreka had a 8-12-2 mark after losing a doubleheader to Central Valley at home on April 12. Since that time Yreka has gone 10-1.
Freitas mentioned that a turning point for the Miners was taking part in an elite tournament in Anaheim the first of April. While Yreka won only one game, Freitas said that the squad hit well, which gave his team confidence.
For the tournament, Yreka outhit their opponents 57-27.
“It showed us what we were capable of and that we can hit,” he said. “The season is a long haul and we came out slow,” But, he said, the team persevered and are now being rewarded for their hard work.
To get to the title game, Yreka took out Central Valley 12-2 in five innings last Friday at home. On Tuesday, Yreka defeated the No. 2 seed and NAL champion Lassen Grizzlies 6-0 in Susanville.
The Miners come in with a 18-13-2 overall mark while Sutter comes in at 28-3. The Huskies downed Wheatland 3-1 in the semifinals on Tuesday, with pitcher Brad Bonnenfant throwing a no-hitter.
Freitas said that he plans to start senior Cody Hoff. If they need to bring in more pitching during the contest, Freitas said that he comfortable in his five deep pitching staff who he said have been a strength of the team this season.
“They have stepped up for us,” he said.
The group needed to step up this year when they lost ace Christian Charles due to a shoulder injury, and was unable to pitch all season. The good news is Charles, a very strong hitter, was still able to bat and play first and has been one of the top hitters for the Miners again this year.
While the Huskies pitchers are very good, Freitas believes if his team can continue to be patient at the plate and wait for their pitch, great things can happen on Saturday.
Although Yreka has been considered a top team in the section for awhile, winning the title would solidify that fact, Freitas said.
For those who can't make the long drove to Butte College, the game will be broadcasted live on the internet at www.meridix.com/everywhere.php?liveid=YrekaHighSchool.